Method and personal email system using simulated virtual users

Abstract

A system includes simulated virtual users that are generated to register for personal email accounts. The virtual users are generated using behavior, demographic, and sociographic profiles. The email accounts receive and interact with email using a server and a simulator according to profile data for the simulated virtual users. The interactions are monitored to determine and simulate deliverability and other information for the personal email accounts. Further, the server and simulator are specific to a certain country or location to act as users in those locations.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for assessing email deliverability, in the personal email system of an email provider, for an email campaign, the method comprising the steps of:
 compiling a record of a sampling of users' interactions with email over a defined period so that said record reflects the general populace's interactions with email over said defined period, 
 updating said record to include said users' interactions with email for times subsequent to said defined period, thereby maintaining an updated record, 
 utilizing said updated record to create an updated database of the expected current interactions of one with an incoming email, 
 generating a plurality of simulated virtual users that are configured to act as additional, email recipients for said email campaign and provide feedback on said email deliverability achieved by said email campaign, 
 utilizing said updated database to generate a plurality of current behavior profiles, one of which is assigned to each of said plurality of simulated virtual users, and wherein each of said plurality of current behavior profiles includes a probability of a specific email activity occurring for a received email; 
 creating a plurality of user profiles, and wherein one of said plurality of user profiles is assigned to each of said plurality of simulated virtual users; 
 creating a plurality of personal email accounts, and assigning one that includes an inbox to each of said plurality of simulated virtual users, 
 causing the sending to each of said plurality of personal email accounts an email from said email campaign, 
 simulating email activity at each of said plurality of personal email accounts in response to receiving emails and according to the assigned current behavior profile and user profile for said simulated virtual user to which each of said plurality of personal email accounts is assigned, and 
 monitoring said inboxes of each of said plurality of personal email accounts to determine whether an email from said email campaign was delivered to the simulated virtual user to whom said personal email account is assigned. 
 
     
     
       2. The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein:
 creating said plurality of user profiles includes using a plurality of demographic profiles and a plurality of sociographic profiles. 
 
     
     
       3. The method as recited in  claim 2 , further comprising the step of:
 identifying a plurality of lists on which to register said personal email accounts, and 
 utilizing said plurality of lists to send to an email from said email campaign. 
 
     
     
       4. The method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein:
 updating said record involves utilizing a machine learning algorithm. 
 
     
     
       5. The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
 identifying a plurality of lists on which to register said personal email accounts, and 
 utilizing said plurality of lists to send to an email from said email campaign. 
 
     
     
       6. A system for assessing email deliverability, in the personal email system of an email provider, for an email campaign, comprising:
 an email interactions database of a sampling of users' interactions with email over a defined period so that said email interactions database reflects the general populace's interactions with email over said defined period, 
 an update of said email interactions database to include said users' interactions with email for times subsequent to said defined period, 
 a plurality of simulated virtual users that are configured to act as additional email recipients for said email campaign and provide feedback on said email deliverability achieved by said email campaign, 
 a plurality of current behavior profiles, generated by utilizing said email interactions database and update, one of which is assigned to each of said plurality of simulated virtual users, and wherein each of said plurality of current behavior profiles includes a probability of a specific email activity occurring for a received email, 
 a plurality of user profiles, and wherein one of said plurality of user profiles is assigned to each of said plurality of simulated virtual users, 
 a plurality of personal email accounts, each of which includes an inbox, and wherein one of said plurality of personal email accounts is assigned to each of said plurality of simulated virtual users, and 
 a simulator configured to simulate email activity at each of said plurality of personal email accounts in response to receiving emails and according to the assigned current behavior profile and user profile for said simulated virtual user to which each of said plurality of personal email accounts is assigned. 
 
     
     
       7. The system as recited in  claim 6 , wherein:
 a plurality of demographic profiles that are configured to be used to create said plurality of user profiles, and 
 a plurality of sociographic profiles that are configured to be further used to create said plurality of user profiles. 
 
     
     
       8. The system as recited in  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a plurality of lists on which to register said personal email accounts. 
 
     
     
       9. The system as recited in  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a machine learning algorithm that is configured to be used to update said email interactions database. 
 
     
     
       10. The system as recited in  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a plurality of lists on which to register said personal email accounts. 
 
     
     
       11. The system as recited in  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a machine learning algorithm that is configured to be used to update said email interactions database. 
 
     
     
       12. The system as recited in  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a machine learning algorithm that is configured to be used to update said email interactions database. 
 
     
     
       13. A computer readable, non-transitory, storage medium and program code recorded thereon for execution on a computer device, said program code causing said computer device to assess email deliverability for an email campaign by performing the steps comprising:
 compiling a record of a sampling of users' interactions with email over a defined period so that said record reflects the general populace's interactions with email over said defined period, 
 updating said record to include said users' interactions with email for times subsequent to said defined period, thereby always maintaining an updated record, 
 utilizing said updated record to create an updated database of the expected current interactions of one with an incoming email, 
 generating a plurality of simulated virtual users that are configured to act as additional, email recipients for said email campaign and provide feedback on said email deliverability achieved by said email campaign, 
 utilizing said updated database to generate a plurality of current behavior profiles, one of which is assigned to each of said plurality of simulated virtual users, and wherein each of said plurality of current behavior profiles includes a probability of a specific email activity occurring for a received email, 
 creating a plurality of user profiles and wherein one of said plurality of user profiles is assigned to each of said plurality of simulated virtual users, 
 creating a plurality of personal email accounts and assigning one that includes an inbox to each of said plurality of simulated virtual users, 
 causing the sending to each of said plurality of personal email accounts an email from said email campaign, 
 simulating email activity at each of said plurality of personal email accounts in response to receiving emails and according to the assigned current behavior profile and user profile for said simulated virtual user to which each of said plurality of personal email accounts is assigned, and 
 monitoring said inboxes of each of said plurality of personal email accounts to determine whether an email from said email campaign was delivered to the simulated virtual user to whom said personal email account is assigned. 
 
     
     
       14. The method as recited in  claim 13 , wherein:
 updating said record involves utilizing a machine learning algorithm. 
 
     
     
       15. The computer readable, non-transitory, storage medium and program code recorded thereon as recited in  claim 13 , wherein:
 creating said plurality of user profiles involves using a plurality of demographic profiles and a plurality of sociographic profiles. 
 
     
     
       16. The computer readable, non-transitory, storage medium and program code recorded thereon as recited in  claim 15 , further comprising the step of:
 identifying a plurality of lists on which to register said personal email accounts, and utilizing said plurality of lists to send to an email from said email campaign. 
 
     
     
       17. The computer readable, non-transitory, storage medium and program code recorded thereon as recited in  claim 13 , further comprising the step of:
 identifying a plurality of lists on which to register said personal email accounts, and 
 utilizing said plurality of lists to send to an email from said email campaign. 
 
     
     
       18. The computer readable, non-transitory, storage medium and program code recorded thereon as recited in  claim 13 , wherein:
 updating said record involves utilizing a machine learning algorithm. 
 
     
     
       19. The computer readable, non-transitory, storage medium and program code recorded thereon as recited in  claim 13 , wherein:
 updating said record involves utilizing a machine learning algorithm. 
 
     
     
       20. The computer readable, non-transitory, storage medium and program code recorded thereon as recited in  claim 13 , wherein:
 updating said record involves utilizing a machine learning algorithm.